The Divine Connection

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

Two aspects of the spiritual life have resonated throughout biblical history and to the present day: faith and works. Different groups of Christians have emphasized one aspect more than the other at different times in Church history. But the biblical view is that they are both important. Take the dimension of faith called love. Throughout Scripture, love is validated by works.

For example, Paul’s famous words about love in 1 Corinthians 13 are all about the actions of love: patience, kindness, protection, trust, perseverance, and more. Likewise, the absence of love is revealed by the opposite of loving actions. The Bible’s most well-known verse—John 3:16—connects God’s love to God’s action: He loved us and sent His Son to provide a way to be forgiven and have eternal life. And the apostle John wrote, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world” (1 John 4:9). Jesus said that His followers’ loving actions would be the way to point the world to Him (John 13:35).

Love (faith) and actions are a divine connection. We are to be toward others as God in Christ has been toward us (Ephesians 4:32).